By Steve Mkawale

Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua has exuded confidence that she will win the upcoming presidential election in the first round.

Karua said on Saturday that she has been working on a strategy that will see her succeed President Mwai Kibaki and ruled out the polls going for a runoff.

Without elaborating on the strategy, Karua told party Youth Leaders who converged in Nairobi for a two-day training that she was confident of a first round win after traversing most of the country to meet voters.

"Mimi niko na matumaini ya kushinda mkondo was kwanza (I am confident I will win in the first round of the presidential polls)." she said.

She brushed aside talks that she was being wooed to be a running of Prime Minister Raila Odinga saying her name will be on the ballot paper.

The Gichugu MP said her strategy would see her garner 60 per cent of the cast votes in the first round of the polls whose March 4, 2013 date is in contention.

“I am not aiming at 50 per cent plus one vote. Am aiming at 60 per cent of the votes to avoid a runoff,” said Karua.

Narc-Kenya pulled a first one yet again after being the first political party to submit to the Registrar of Political Parties its nomination rules.

“We have done it again. Our party is the first one to submit nomination rules as required by the law’’, she told jubilant youth leaders.

Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua acknowledges critics from her party’s youth.[Photo:Moses Omusula/Standard]

Karua promised that the party’s election nomination rules would free and fair, and adhere to the provisions of Chapter Six of the constitution.

She ruled out entering into a pre-election pact with any of the political parties but said such arrangement would be only important after the elections.

On the implementation of the constitution, Karua faulted the Executive of failing to initiate intense civic education to enable Kenyans understand the provisions in the new laws.

She observed that the demand by the outlawed Mombasa Republican Council (MRC) for secession was as a result of lack of civic education on the constitution.

“If only the Government had taken the initiative to educate those advocating for secession that their interests have been taken care of in the new constitution, then there will be no problems with MRC,” she said.